Men's Basketball

Anderson Receives Jack Bennett Man of the Year Award

Apr 05, 2012

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – David H. Koch '62 Head Coach Larry Anderson has been named the recipient of the 2012 Jack Bennett Man of the Year Award. The Bennett award, which represents winning with integrity, was presented to Anderson at the CollegeInsider.com awards banquet during last weekend's Division I men's Final Four. Anderson's Engineers advanced to their first-ever Division III Final Four during the 2011-12 campaign, won a program-record 29 games and captured its second straight New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) crown.

MIT's outstanding season came to an end in the NCAA Division III national semifinals, as it lost to eventual national champion, Wisconsin-Whitewater, 71-56. With a final record of 29-2, Tech finished the year ranked No. 4 in the D3Hoops Top 25. Coach Anderson's squad ripped off 16 straight victories to start the season and, after an 80-68 setback to WPI, its only regular season loss, won 13 more in a row to advance to the Final Four.

"Coach Anderson deserves many accolades after the best season in MIT history," said Angela Lento, co-founder of CollegeInsider.com. "Winning 29 games at MIT is nothing short of remarkable."

Tech defeated Springfield College, 65-60, in the NEWMAC tournament final to win its third league title in four years and earn a fourth-straight berth into the NCAA playoffs. The Engineers picked up a 62-55 opening round win over Skidmore College before rolling to an 83-63 victory against Farmingdale State in round two. The Cardinal and Gray knocked off the College of Staten Island, 83-67, the following weekend and booked its ticket to Salem, Va. with a 69-54 win over host Franklin & Marshall College in the sectional final.

Anderson was selected as the NEWMAC Coach of the Year, the third such honor in his career. Senior Noel Hollingsworth (Salt Lake City, Utah) and junior Mitchell Kates (Colts Neck, N.J.) were all-region selections while Kates was also named to the fourth team All-America by D3Hoops.com.

The Bennett award is named for longtime University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point head coach. Bennett won five Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference titles, made five NCAA tournament appearances and finished his career with back-to-back national championships, the only two in school history. He is the program's all-time winningest coach with a 200-56 record. In 28 seasons as head coach he compiled a record of 480-175.